Vernal
The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum
The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum is a great place to visit if you are interested in learning about the natural history of Utah. It has many dinosaur fossils and life size replicas of dinosaurs. There are also some hands on activities for the kids.
Red Fleet State Park and Reservoir
The park offers camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking opportunities. The park rents canoes, kayaks, pedal boats and paddleboards with paddles and PFD’s from May- September.
Dinosaur National Monument and State Park
Dinosaur National Monument and State Park is located on the border of Colorado and Utah. It preserves the fossils of dinosaurs and other animals from the Late Jurassic period. The park is divided into two parts, one in each state. The Utah side features the Dinosaur Quarry Visitor Center/Quarry Exhibit Hall and offers a Junior Ranger Badge.
The visitors center has several prehistoric exhibits and a 12 minuet film on the park. Water and restrooms are available. Board the shuttle or continue on down the road a quarter mile to see the Quarry Exhibit Hall, a wall of 1,500 dinosaur bones and an 80ft long dinosaur mural.
There are 4 easy to moderate level hikes that would be good for families. The first two trails can be accessed from the visitors center. Fossil Discovery trail a 2.4 mile out and back moderate level trail that highlights exposed rocks with fossil formations and the Desert Voices trail, a 1.5 mile loop offering spectacular views of split mountain.
The next two trails will need to be accessed 10 miles east of the visitors center at the end of Cub Creek Road. Box Canyon is a half mile, out and back shady box canyon trail. Hog Canyon is 1.5 miles out and back trail into a box canyon.
Uintah County Heritage Museum
The Uintah County Heritage Museum is located in the heart of Vernal, Utah and is home to a variety of displays and artifacts that depict the history of the Uintah Basin. Look forward to seeing exhibits on the pioneers, Native American Indians, miners, soldiers, lawmen and outlaws. Admission is free for all visitors.
Uintah Community Center
The Uintah Community Center has an indoor aquatics center complete with a lazy river, lap pools, and splash climbing gym. The center also has a gym, indoor rock wall, indoor playground, weight room, basketball courts, racquetball courts, and so on.
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area located in northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. It is named for the red-hued gorge on the Green River which runs through the area. The area offers a wide array of outdoor activities, including fishing, boating, hiking, camping and swimming at the popular Red gorge Reservoir. To see scenic points of interest, educational programs, trails and more visit the Red Canyon Visitor Center. Unfortunately, this location does not offer a Junior Ranger Badge.
Less than 20 minuets away, you can visit the Flaming Gorge Dam and Visitors Center. Check current operations to see if they are still doing tours of the dam. Either way, there are great views to be seen atop the walkway of the dam and inspiring displays/films inside the visitors center.